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DE RUEHDO #0756/01 3001119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261119Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8350
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000756 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PREF QA SU
SUBJECT: QATAR BRIEFS P5 AMBASSADORS ON ITS ARAB-AFRICAN 
INITIATIVE ON DARFUR 
 
---------------- 
(SBU) Key Points 
---------------- 
 
-- Ahmad al-Mahmood, Qatar's de facto Foreign Minister, told 
P5Ambassadors in Doha October 22 that Qatar, at the request 
of Arab League member states and (unspecified) others, has 
agreed to lead what he described as an Arab-African 
initiative to mediate a Darfur peace agreement. 
 
Qatar's next steps: 
 
-- Expand the seven-member ministerial committee formed for 
the initiative beyond the seven Arab states to include five 
Sahelian and sub-Saharan African states:  South Africa, 
Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nigeria, and Tanzania. 
 
-- Gather the ministerial committee for a consultative 
meeting in Doha to discuss an approach for dealing with the 
crisis in Sudan; al-Mahmoud gave no date. 
 
-- Continue discussions and consultations on Sudan and Darfur 
with all concerned parties at the internal, regional, and 
international levels. 
 
-- Hold a Darfur "reconciliation conference" in Doha, but 
"only if there is a good chance for a successful outcome." 
 
Al-Mahmood said he was closely coordinating with AU-UN joint 
mediator for Darfur Bassoli, and with AU Commission Chair 
Jean Ping, both of whom had expressed support for the 
Qatar-led initiative.  Al-Mahmood will see Bassoli next 
October 28-29. 
 
Al-Mahmood said he told Sudanese President Omar Hassan 
al-Bashir that Qatar would not ask the Security Council for 
an Article 16 deferral until Qatar had "something positive" 
to present the Security Council. 
 
-------------- 
(SBU) Comments 
-------------- 
 
Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa, in a recent interview 
with al-Sharq al-Awsat, spoke of the expansion of "the Arab 
Committee" as a fait accompli.  He added that the committee 
includes a three-member chair, comprising the Qatari prime 
minister, the president of the African Commission, and the 
secretary general of the Arab League. 
 
He also said the Committee's initiative has a time limit, and 
spoke of the Committee reporting to the Security Council in 
December or January, according to the Sharq al-Awsat report. 
 
Al-Mahmood gave no indication in his P5 briefing that a time 
limit for the Qatar-led initiative existed. 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Al-Mahmood's 40-minute briefing loosely described a 
three-stage process designed to "stop the fighting," bring 
the parties into negotiation, and address the cross-border 
conflict.  The first stage, nearing its end, involved 
Al-Mahmood's recent fact-finding trip to Sudan and some of 
the neighboring states (but not, interestingly, Chad). 
 
¶2.  (SBU) While in Sudan, he met with al-Bashir and traveled 
to southern Sudan and Darfur assisted by UNAMID.  He said he 
told Bashir that Qatar would not request an Article 16 
deferral by the Security Council on the findings against the 
Sudanese president by ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, not 
until Qatar had something positive to report to the Security 
Council.  He also pressed Bashir to take additional action, 
beyond house arrest, against Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman. 
Arrest is not enough. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Al-Mahmood was deeply affected by his visit to 
western Darfur.  "I visited the camps; there was such great 
suffering.  I was very moved.  It affected me a lot.  There 
were no schools.  They need teachers.  Everything.  People 
had no identity cards.  We need a political settlement to end 
this human suffering," he said. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) He did not describe any meetings or conversations 
he or anyone else associated with the Qatar-led initiative 
might have had with Darfuri rebel groups.  But he did say he 
was optimistic that the rebel groups and others would be 
ready to work with Qatar, because Qatar is known for what he 
described as Qatar's "neutrality" and its willingness to talk 
 
DOHA 00000756  002 OF 002 
 
 
to everybody. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Turning to how Qatar's initiative got underway, 
al-Mahmood stressed that Qatar had been well aware of Egypt's 
special relationship with Sudan.  Qatar had consulted very 
early on with the Egyptians.  "We told them what we are 
planning.  If you don't like it, we will go.  You can do it. 
But we have to bring peace to these people," Al-Mahmood said. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) He said not only were the Egyptians receptive to 
Qatar's involvement, Egypt has joined the Ministerial 
Committee. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The second stage of the initiative will focus more 
on the neighboring states, especially Chad, Libya, and Egypt. 
  (Note: In the Q&A following the briefing, Ambassador asked 
Al-Mahmood specifically about Qatar's contact with Chad. 
Al-Mahmood said Qatar "has a plan for how to deal with Chad." 
 He did not elaborate.  He did indicate that Qatar's contacts 
with Chad have so far been minimal.  End Note.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The third stage would be the reconciliation 
conference between the Sudanese government and the rebel 
groups, to be called only if Qatar believes it will be 
successful.  No gathering for talks about talks, or to talk 
just to be talking, he indicated. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Al-Mahmood ended the briefing with a plea to the 
P5, and a prediction.  "You have to help us; we need a just 
settlement for everybody."  He predicted that, "if we don't 
get a just settlement, terrorists, our common enemy, will 
benefit," and at the expense of all -- "first, Egypt, then 
others," he said. 
LeBaron